Archive:Zephe Zan Zorander
Recently Grieving the recent death of his master, Zephe has been forced to seek his own training and find a new master to complete his ritual. Appearance Human Form He stands at a tall height for a Gilnean man, with a very broad chest and stocky trunk. He is very obviously well-muscled and strong. His coal black hair is short and well-kept, with scruffy side-burns that move down his cheeks to form a thick beard. His left eye appears to have been removed forcibly by some clawed assault, the scars around this missing eye glow faintly green. His remaining eye is a sharp, remarkable sapphire blue that seem quite piercing. His face is otherwise smooth and unremarkable, generally stoic and observant. Worgen Form This tall, feral-looking wolf is covered in a coat of ashen black fur, his body still very broad and muscular. His lupine snout has thick, scruffy side-burns, as well as a long braided goatee. The left eye is still missing and just as brutally taken, with fur missing where the glowing scars remain. His right eye is still a piercing sapphire blue; but now shines with a feral energy not previously there. A similarly feral grin seems to play across his lips most of the time, hinting at a measure of comfort gleaned from his new being. General Appearance He is commonly found in the traditional garb of a Kaldorei Demon-hunter with an ornate leather kilt from the waist down and his chest bared. A complicated Fel-green len covers his scarred, ruined left eye. The Kaldorei markings etched into his flesh seem to glow lightly with a fel green tinge. With a selection of tools slipped into various pouches and holsters on his kilt. A pair of sturdy leather bracers clasp his wrists with a selection of knives contained in both. A thin, curved Elven knife and similiar sword hang from scabbards at his hips. A satchel pack containing his supplies is slung loosely over his shoulder, the side of which is stitched with three ornate Z's in a shining silver thread. Personality Zephe is a quiet and stoic man, with few words to say unless they are fit for the situation. He is more content to observe the situation and give his piece when he feels it right. He moods range from apathetic to bemused much of the time, treating the world in a manner detached. As such, he lacks the social skills of most and find himself uncomfortable when dealing with others. Much more at home in the shadows, stalking his prey, it is uncommon to find him in the cities where he acts awkward, quiet, and uncomfortable. One can notice that Zephe is almost always in discomfort or pain, it seems to color his mood at time turning it black as his fur. History Early History Born with a twin sister, Jezibeth, to Jarin and Annalara Von Nemark, a family of lesser nobility in Gilneas. His early childhood was simple and quiet as his family lived on an estate in rural Gilneas and were reclusive besides. He was a studious boy and quiet, not the most outgoing and always acting with a serious demeanor. He preferred to spend his time skulking about his families lands or in their extensive library, studying. A particular course of study fascinated him and would end up influencing his entire life to come: Demonology and Demons in general. His parents were delighted to learn of his interests as his mother was a noted warlock in certains circles in Gilneas City, and his father was a powerful shadow-priest. The Ritual It wasn't until his teenage years that his parents began to concoct an unusual scheme. Disappointed at their son's lacking aptitude with magic, they plotted a ritual is infuse the youth with fel energies. It was dangerous but Zephe was unaware of the ritual, his parents had hoped they could craft him into a warlock powerful to take the reins of his father's coven and use it to enhance their families power in Gilneas. They plotted for years and when the lad was sixteen they called him into his study. Zephe was under the impression that he was to be scolded again for his inability to channel magic. Instead he found a room prepared for ritual with a shackled demon awaiting him and his parents gazing at him expectantly. The resulting chaos was not what any party hoped for, the boy was shocked to see this demon and when his father held him as his mother channeled a spell, he panicked. Zephe's mother began siphon the fel energies into his son, the boy began struggling harder and harder as he felt his body overcome with this power. His struggling distracted his parents and the demon took advantage of this, attacking Zephe himself and raking a claw across his left eye. The demon was weakening quickly and quite literally pouring Fel power from it's person. This poisonous power further tainted the boy's wound and cost him his eye. His father attempted to save the boy, attacking the demon, and although weaken the beast attacked with vigor. Severely wounded, Jarin managed to dispatch the demon before collapsing in a heap. His mother left her son and ran to his father, Zephe fell to the ground convulsing with the Fel power tainting his being. In the end, Zephe was comatose for a week, after which he awoke in his bedroom of the Nemark estate to learn that his father was dead and mother distraught. Falling Out Life was tense at the Nemark estate after those dark events. Jarin died of his wounds a few days after the event and his mother was beside herself with grief. Despite Annalara's insistence that they only wanted to improve him and give him a bright and powerful future. Zephe tolerated it little, feeling betrayed and strange, with catastrophic powers coursing through his body and changing him. During his convalescence, Zephe grew reclusive and quiet, shying away from most individuals except his dear sister who comforted his pain. Eventually, his mother trod on his final straw and did the next foul tragedy to him, she sent his sister to be fostered at the estate of Baron Silverlaine near Pyrewood Village. Zephe did not receive the news well and howled in anguish at the decree, this caused him to abandon his mother and family. Gather a small measure of supplies and stealing some gold from the coffers, the lad stole away in the night and headed for Gilneas City. Gilneas City and the Fel-gifted Once arriving in the city, Zephe's reclusive nature and fast hands quickly sank him into the cities underworld. He changed his name as he went, to Zephe Zan Zorander, as to better forget his old life. As he sank into this new, dark world though, he found that strange powers were awakening in his body, the Fel powers burned into him began manifesting themselves in an affinity for shadows and shadowy magic. Zephe found his could past between the veil of shadow that shrouds normal sight at will, he could step through shadows to get to his targets. He quickly rose to prominence among the unsavory folks of the city, becoming a well-known footpad and cut-purse, well-known among the underworld that is. As years past and his infamy grew, he became known as the Fel-gifted, a term coined by the warlocks he often worked for as they could sense the Fel magic inside him. They also told him of the havoc it would wreak upon his body. This wasn't news to Zephe, he could feel the immense pain everyday, he had learn to sublimate and fight the pain. The rogue watched as Gilneas grew reclusive and sealed itself away. Civil War and the Cursed Zephe continued his simple life of theft and infamy, but trouble began for him when the Greyman wall rose in the north and the Northgate Rebellion. He rose from his small post as a footpad to an assassin when he was tasked to kill nobles who had supported the building of the wall. The remarkably cold Zephe took to his new job with vigor, slipping through shadows to slip a blade between the ribs of his targets in the confusion of the rebel's attack on Gilneas City. Even as the rebellion quieted with the capture of its leaders, the young man continued to work as an assassin for various sinister factions, finding his peculiar talent for murder. Eventually another dark shadow fell over the Gilnean capital. Worgen ranged across the roof-tops and dark alleys of the city and in one dark, brutal night they attacked en masse. Though never the most patriotic, Zephe did was he could to assist in the evacuation and defense of the city, even joing Darius Crowley in his ill-fated last stand. This proved to be the last anyone heard of Zephe or those defenders for some time. Cataclysm That is until his capture by Gilnean hunters, he was taken to the refuge at Duskhaven and shackled until a temporary cure for his feral state could be produced. The administered cure freed him and many of his fellow worgen and allowed them their minds back. Himself once again, Zephe set about assisting in the battle against the Forsaken invaders and the flight from Duskhaven, particuliar following the terrible cataclysm that shatter the world. He watched as Duskhaven sank into the sea. Disheartened, he joined the refugees travelling to Stormglen where he met other worgen in the Blackwald and received the Night Elves blessing. Becoming more himself, Zephe set out with the Gilneans crusade to retake their homeland from the Forsaken. It was during this crusade that Zephe finally returned home, to the Nemark estate. What he found was a ravaged, ruined building with the decaying remains of his mother and some servants in the ruins. Despite his powerful hatred of his mother, Zephe dug a grave himself for each of the fallen and laid their ruined bodies to rest. Moving on from there, Zephe assisted in the battle for Gilneas City and the eventual Gilnean exodus to Darnassus. Curiosities in Darkshore With the Gilneans now settles in Darnassus for the time being, Zephe found himself enamored with the Night Elves and their life-style. Finding himself without a organization to serve and few other ambitions wrangling his time, the young worgen dedicated himself to assisting the Elves, despite their reservations due to his Fel aura. Travelling to Darkshore, he began assisting the rescue efforts the Elves effected by the Cataclysm. It was during this work that he made a most profound discovery. As he was ranging across the woodlands he came to the Maw of the Void, a deep, sunken whirlpool acting as the conflux for numerous rivers. Zephe stood upon the edge of cliff before suddenly it gave way, unable to catch himself, the poor Worgen tumbled into the water and was promptly sucked down. When he came to a druid of the Cenarion Circle was tending to him, she explained she had come to investigate the collapse they were in. Only then did Zephe notice the ruins about him as he was in some sort of deep, underground cavern. The druid also explained that she would be able to get them out after some rest and bid him to search for another exit if he so wished. Dragging himself up, Zephe set off in the cavern and travelled up a winding ramp, eventually he came to the end of the path where a strange elf awaited him. Ethereal and cloak in shadows, the elf wielded dual war-glaives and his eyes appeared to be missing and cover by just a strip of cloth. This spirit elf charged at Zephe and assualted him, retaliating the rogue launched himself into a dazzling array of acrobatics, dancing around the spirit and cutting him to ribbons. In minutes, the spirit collapsed into nothingness and left behind a scroll case which contained ancient, etched Elven writings. Beginning of a Hunter The druid whom he had met previous facilitated his escape from the deep cave, and from there Zephe set of for Darnassus to get some answers about the scroll and the spirit. Arriving in the Elven capital, he met with scribes and historians that he could find, they told him that the writings pertained to Demon-hunter's and contained secrets of their initiation. Zephe noted the scribes obvious discomfort at the subject but insisted in his searching, inquiring where he could learn more. The Elves were less then pleased and requested that the worgen take his search beyong the city as they would not have him consorting with Demons within it's walls. Being run out of Darnassus, Zephe was left with little else thus he traveled to Stormwind and sought answers there. In Stormwind, he met a Draenei who claimed to know of a Demon-Hunter that may aid him in his quest. Directing him to the Northern Barrens at a small camp in the mountains far north, it was there he met the man who would change his life forever. An elf answered his call as he approached, he seemed to radiate a familiar energy to Zephe, something that sparked dark memories long contained. The elf was tall as any other, with a strong but lithe build, a band of cloth covered two missing eyes, his chest was bare and etched with strange marks and tattoos, and a Kaldorei kilt fell from his waist to feet. He seemed nonplussed about Zephe until he noticed his missing eye and the faintly glowing scars, though dimmer from the years. He brought Zephe in and introduced himself as Velarr Felfire, a Demon-hunter, and then began asking questions about the scars and his missing eye. Zephe, feeling strangely comfortable with this stranger, recounted his tale of the ritual his family pursued and of it's outcome. Velarr listened raptly and, when Zephe finished, asked why he was there, to which Zephe produced the scroll. Nodding sagely, Velarr asked him what was his intention, Zephe's one good eye narrowed coldly and shone with a wicked fury as he darkly explained his intention to murder every demon he could. Satified with his answer, Velarr agreed before the question was truly asked and took Zephe beneath his wing as Demon-hunter. Apprentice Hunter Two months passed without so much as a word from Zephe, it was as though he disappeared under the tutelage of Velarr Felfire. It was in those two months that he was educated in the ways of a Kaldorei Demon-hunter, a rare positon normally strictly held for Kaldorei along. Velarr explained that his experience and how his body changed when exposed to Fel energy left him uniquely suited for the task. The Demon-hunter also explained that the path Zephe was to follow would lead to more and more Fel energy being forced on his person, such is the life of fighting fire with fire. Zephe accepted these tribulations without complaint and followed his drills and combat training unceasingly. Velarr noted that Zephe had the strange reaction of channeling Fel energy as shadow and not fire, quite unusual, but he made use of it nonetheless. Zephe was trained to bend the shadows to his will, growing more and more talented at using them in combat. In the two months that pass, Zephe became an apprentice Demon-hunter, it was near the end of those two months that Velarr said that he was ready to gain his "true-sight". In a ritual similar to that of his parents, Velarr summoned a demon and bound some of its essence to a crystal and channeled the rest into the remnants of his eye. Though excruciatingly painful to him, Zephe's body seemed to drink in the power. When it was over, the Fel energy seemed to be complete within him and though he still felt the pain, he no longer felt hallow or broken. Velarr handed him the crystal and explained that when he was ready it would be his other eye, and that he would know when he was ready. With that ritual, the first step of his journey as a Demon-hunter was complete. Facing the World In a graduation of sorts, Velarr looked upon Zephe with admiration as he presented his student with a swordbelt with a long curved dagger and similiar sword sheathed on it. He explained that when he became a full Demon-hunter that he would gain his war-glaives, if he so chose. The blades were of incredibly fine make and inscribed with runes of Fel magic, Zephe equipped them and found that they simply felt right on his hips. Zephe gathered his meager possessions and thanked Velarr again for giving his life a purpose once more. Velarr bid him luck and sent him off into the world to learn on his own while returning only occasionally for updates on his training and to keep his dear master appraised of his travels. Before leaving the Barrens though, Zephe did one last task, taking the crystal that was infused with demonic essence he crafted a lens and fitted over his removed eye. An odd device that helped improve his abilities and demon-sight and, to him, served as his own unique mark as a Demon-hunter. From there, Zephe disappeared into the vastness of Azeroth, seeking the knowledge he needed, and only to resurface on the rare occasion he is distracted from his quest. Relationships/Characters of Relevance *'Jezibeth Von Nemark': Fraternal Twin sister, Alive, separated in adolescence and only recently reunited. *'Jarin Von Nemark': Father, Deceased, died by wounds from a demon in a failed ritual to infuse Zus with a demon's essence. *'Annalara Von Nemark': Mother, Deceased, murdered by Worgen in the when the curse fell upon Gilneas. Quotes "I throw my dreams unto your feet, I beg you tread softly for you tread upon my dreams." (Paraphrased from a W.B. Yeats poem.) Category:Archived Characters Category:Archived